Artworks stored in the basement of County Hall are to go under the hammer today (July 15) and could realise tens of thousands of pounds.
Around 350 lithographs, linocuts, screenprints, etchings and wood cuts and engravings which have been kept in the basement at Kent County Council’s headquarters are being sold as they have no official historic value.
The cash-strapped council, now led by Reform UK, will have to find tens of millions of pounds in savings next year to balance the books.
The disposal of KCC assets, such as property, had already started under the previous Conservative administration to raise funds and cut costs.
KCC has 1,800 works on display at County Hall and Oakwood House in Maidstone or in storage.
At auction today are images of Dover, Tenterden, Maidstone, Ivychurch, Canterbury and Sepham Heath near Sevenoaks with seascapes, wildlife and oast houses.
Works include pieces by Graham Clarke, Robert Tavner and John Brunsdon.
Most of the art was purchased 40 years ago as part of the Kent Visual Arts Loan Scheme (KVALS) designed for lending to schools and work places.
It is understood the works have been in storage since the KVALS scheme ended a decade ago.
A KCC statement said: “The Kent County Council Art Collection runs from lots one to 92 with an estimated maximum value of £45,700 and individual lots varying from £200 to £1,500.
“Any final figure will be subject to listing and auction fees and transport costs.”
Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services Paul Webb said: “The reason for selling is a practical one, with the closure of the basement store where the artworks are kept.
“It is a really fascinating collection and if you have time, you can disappear down a Google rabbit hole learning more about the artists and their inspiration. I am sure the works have brought a lot of joy over the years to many people, and will now continue to do so.”
KCC’s wider collection of artwork is divided into three categories: commercial/editioned works; photography; and mixed media, paintings, and unique works on paper.
They are mainly landscapes, portraits and abstract work from a range of artists based either in Kent or across the UK and bought between the 1960s and 1990s.
A spokesman for the council said: “We follow the Museums’ Association Code of Ethics, which is a legal and ethical framework which provides guidance for the disposal of artworks in public ownership and aims to ensure that the public continue to have access to work which is of historical significance and for which the organisation is a trusted long-term guardian.”
